MN Environmental Congress – register NOW!
March 12th, 2013
If you’re interested in going to the Minnesota Environmental Congress, register NOW — and I sure hope that many of those who went to the meetings around the state follow through and keep demanding change!
2013 Minnesota Environmental Congress
Friday, March 15, 2013 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
2300 East American Boulevard
Bloomington, MN 55425
952-854-3411
Registration Questions:
Catherine Dubbe
GTS Educational Events
cdubbe@mngts.org
This was originally INVITATION ONLY! Can you believe it! Yours truly didn’t make the cut, I can’t imagine why… and now, it’s thrown open to any ol’ body, so I guess that means us.
And the AGENDA for Friday.
For those of you who went to the meetings, or are curious about what happened, here are the reports:
Suffice it to say, the standing room only attendance at all of the sessions was a surprise to the organizers. The people of Minnesota are more than a little upset about the state’s failure to protect Minnesota’s environment.
It struck me as hilarious that on the opening page, they cite the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act:
Minnesota law directs the EQB to host an annual Environmental Congress. Read MN Statute Ch. 116C Sec. 04 to learn more about the statutory role of the EQB.
Now’s the time to keep that message hammering home… Best read both the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act and the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act.
Another cut to Excelsior Energy
March 12th, 2013
Dying the death of a thousand cuts, here’s one more paper cut for our good friends at Excelsior Energy.
Excelsior Energy’s Mesaba Project, the creme-de-la-creme of vaporware projects, was slashed again by a Midwest Independent System Operator filing with FERC that the project had breached its transmission interconnection agreement and was in default. MISO has asked FERC to terminate the agreement:
The state has been unreasonably and inexplicably reluctant to kill this non-project. Maybe the feds are willing?
Mayor Egan Resigns
March 7th, 2013
City Pages screengrab from KARE 11
’bout time he got around to making it official…
Onward, and hopefully this time we’ll find a mayor with some integrity and ethics.
Hollydale Project public hearings!
March 7th, 2013
Today the public hearings continue for the Hollydale transmission project.
1:30 p.m. at the Medina Ballroom on Hwy. 55
It’s a 115 kV line proposed for Plymouth and Medina through people’s yards — not a good idea. DUH!
For the full docket, go to the PUC’s Search Docket Page and search for 12-113.
Here’s how they present it in Figure 2 of the Certificate of Need application:
But here’s what it really looks like:
I’m representing a family that lives west of the “Focused Study Area” who just moved to Medina and were surprised by this project — no notice that it was proposed — and are challenging need for the project, and if need is demonstrated, supporting the A-2 distribution system alternative, an upgrade of the 13.8 kV system to 34.5 kV, distributed generation at the load along the area highways, and a combination that would address any demonstrated need:
The parties had a phone conference Monday about Xcel Energy’s request to delay the evidentiary hearings (we aren’t formal parties at this point and weren’t invited, but thanks to “plays well with others” Xcel for the heads up about it):
And the response from Western Plymouth Neighborhood Alliance:
It’s odd delaying a project hearing for a bill that’s speculative, who knows if it might pass or not. But it’s delayed, the evidentiary hearing, that is, until May or June sometime, after the legislative session is over, and details remain to be worked out. I’d guess Xcel Energy has other reasons not to go forward with the evidentiary hearing on need for this line…
Where’s the Mayor’s resignation letter?
March 4th, 2013
Mayor Egan, where is your letter of resignation? Send him an email and ask him!
And the City Council too!
jsebion3@gmail.com, lisa.bayley@ci.red-wing.mn.us, deanhove@charter.net, michael.v.schultz@charter.net, peggy.rehder@ci.red-wing.mn.us, ralph.rauterkus@ci.red-wing.mn.us, marilyn.meinke@ci.red-wing.mn.us
After telling City Council members over the weekend that he’d be resigning, at the City Council meeting last week, Mayor Egan said he’d be turning in his letter of resignation on Tuesday. That didn’t happen.
Then “the Mayor came in at the end of last week and said he would be getting it to us on Monday (today).” Yet it’s not been seen.
Out with it, Mayor Egan, resign!
How hard is it to write a letter of resignation? How hard is it to follow through on something? How hard is it to keep your word?
Looks like the City Council should proceed with that investigation, and remove you from office, since you’re not following through on your promises of resignation.